“You’re right, she does,” I snap back with just as much venom. “She has a chance with me. She deserves a chance at a normal life. At not being married off to a relative and used to create fucking incestual babies!”
“You know nothing!” my mother snarls. “There’s a higher purpose in the church. The world is crazy and full of tainted people, but the Script of Symme honours God’s true path.”
A laugh bubbles from my lips at how ludicrous she sounds.
“The Script of Symme is a load of bullshit, Priscilla. It used to be called something else entirely, and the name was changed because thecultgot busted by the authorities. When are you going to realise you’re fighting on the wrong side?”
“I’m doing the Lord’s work, Abigail!”
“You’re doing your pedo father’s work, that’s all. You’re a joke!”
“GIVE TAHLI BACK!” she screams, completely unhinged, and I smirk, feeling good about ruffling her feathers.
“No,” I snap. “I’ll never give her back!”
The moment the words leave my lips, I end the call, my breathing rapid as my hand shakes.
“Shit,” I pant, glancing at Ringo.
“You okay?” he asks, and I nod, but then shake my head, finishing on a shrug.
“Someone told them where we’d be,” I breathe, my mind racing. “The only people who knew were you, me, Daniel and Lewy.”
Even though I can’t see Ringo’s whole face, I can tell by the narrowing of his eyes in the mirror that his jaw is ticking right now.
“There’s no way Daniel could have contacted them without us knowing,” Ringo grunts, sounding pissed. “And I can’t for the life of me consider Lewy. But fuck, the only other explanation is that it was one of the men with us. They must have passed on our location once we arrived.”
Shaking my head, I don’t want to believe any of those options.
“There has to be another explanation… right?” I ask, and Ringo shrugs.
“I fucking hope so,” he hisses, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel. “Or we won’t be arranging a funeral for three. We’ll be arranging it for a lot fucking more.”
25
Our arrival at the compound is met with fist bumps from some, and curious glances from others as Smitty storms from his cabin, fury etched on his face.
“What the fuck are you doing back here?! You ran away like little bitches! Fucking traitors!”
I don’t answer him as I slip out of the car and move to the van as Murf pulls it into the centre of the yard.
“I’m fucking talking to you!” Smitty bellows, and I can see him coming at me from the corner of my eye, but I focus on sliding the van door open, my eyes shifting to the three lifeless men resting in the back before I’m grabbed and spun around. “You’re not fucking welcome here!”
Smitty’s spittle lands on my nose, and I fucking switch, fisting his fucking cut and dragging him nose to nose.
“Stop being a cunt for a fucking second and have some fucking respect!”
The growling bellow that slips from me holds so much rage, it takes everything in me to hold it back and not kill this fucker.
“Respect!” he screams, shoving back and breaking my grip on him. “You should be respectingme!”
“Look! You fucking selfish bastard!” I point into the van, and finally the prick’s eyes follow.
His breathing is ragged, his eyes roaming over our fallen, and he takes a step back, fury still contorting his face.
Swallowing thickly, Smitty clears his throat, dragging his eyes to the men closing in.
He looks stricken.
